Busting Myths: Pot Not Linked to Cancer

Another myth propagated by drug warriors is shot down.

The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer. The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years. "We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."

There are many positive effects associated with marijuana, as also evidenced by the famous Institute of Medicine study from 1999. No matter, apparently: while substances a thousand times more toxic are considered proper medications, pot is still outlawed out of sheer superstition, fear, tradition, and what have you. But as more and more scientific research makes clear just how out of whack the current prohibition laws are, I'm pretty sure we will end up looking back on the marijuana controversy in a few decades and wonder how on earth we got this hysterical.

The Washington Post article on the Tashkin report also mentions that

Federal health and drug enforcement officials have widely used Tashkin's previous work on marijuana to make the case that the drug is dangerous. ... Earlier work established that marijuana does contain cancer-causing chemicals as potentially harmful as those in tobacco, he said. However, marijuana also contains the chemical THC, which he said may kill aging cells and keep them from becoming cancerous. 

So, what do you reckon the chances are the drug warriors will issue a retraction and an apology?

Comments

[kris]

Since the government can't regulate or stop an individual from obtaining said substance from the individuals own backyard (or patio, greenhouse, unused closet space), the government is unable to charge a fee, cost, tax, tariff or any other monetary government gain and therefore says no. They're charging us for living (taxes on everything including food and water, clothing and the roof over our heads)they're still working on how to charge us for the air we breathe. That'll be coming soon.